Tales of the CWF: When Hearts and Minds Unite
by Ari Rockefeller
Summary: Valentine's Day special! Love is in the air for the Son brothers as their relationships with their respective girlfriends mature (Happy Valentine's Day!)
1. Ashura

When Hearts and Minds Unite

Another special holiday will soon be upon us, and it suddenly dawned upon me to write another Tales of the CWF holiday special.  So here we are, at the threshold of Valentine's Day in the CWF world.

Usual disclaimers apply.  With the exception of _The Sword Collectors_ and Father Gavin, these characters – and the song _The Way it Used to Be _by Dream Theater – don't belong to me... 

ASHURA 

            Man…I'm not sure if I've told you guys or not, but…I really can't stand the winter.

            The snow itself isn't really that bad, but when it's really cold and the wind is really whipping the way it is, it's a real pain in the ass for me.  I've endured weather conditions in both extremes during my Pokémon journey, and I'm not afraid to say I'd rather be hot than cold.  Feeling my face go numb, the tips of my fingers feeling completely disconnected from the rest of my hands (such is the tradeoff of fingerless gloves), über-chapped lips, being chilled to the bone…these are not things I look forward to during the winter months.

            That's why I've chosen to stay inside today.  It's been kind of a lazy day, anyhow.  Gohan and I have already gone through training today – starting at about 8:30 in the morning and going hard until about noon; at least we trained outside for only about an hour and a half – and there's really nothing important or special we have to do…for a while, anyway.

            You don't have to take my word for it about studying advanced Jankenpo karate under Goku is a very grueling experience.  You wonder why my dad, Gohan and even myself as of lately can eat so much and still remain über-chiseled like my dad and my brother, or wiry like myself (hey, I may be built, but not like Goku, are you crazy?).  I remember I was told that the typical Saiyan can eat up to three times his own body mass a day, and even more still is burned up in training.  I can't imagine what someone would end up looking like if they ate that much and didn't do anything to burn it off!

            Anyway, let me give you the situation as of right now.  I'm sitting at my desk in my room, playing _Phantasy Star Online _with players from God-knows-where on our GameCube, with video game remixes by McVaffe playing on my brother's and my computer going straight into my headphones.  I'm still a bit tired from practice, and though I am dressed for the rest of the day, I don't have anywhere special planned to go today.  Gohan has just stepped out for a moment, and chances are I'm so entranced in _PSO _and the remixes that if he came in right now, I probably wouldn't notice.

            That's not to say the aforementioned media will permanently preoccupy me.  I can be brought out of it in more ways than one.  For example, when I finish off a boss _and _I need to search through my playlist for a song I want to hear, my attentions are elsewhere.  It was about this time I noticed Gohan back in the room.  Pikachu probably stepped out with him for a moment, because he was by his feet, and they were both looking at me a bit funny.  Pikachu probably wanted to shock me in an effort to get my attention.  Wouldn't be the first time.

            "Yo," Gohan said, getting my attention.

            "Hey," I nod in acknowledgment.

            "Here, let me play for a while," he tells me, in a monotone voice.

            I sigh, and concede, tossing him the controller after my game saves.  My battle with the aforementioned boss drained my supplies and nearly killed me, and I would have to restock my supplies, and I didn't feel like doing it right now.  I get up to pick up Pikachu, and turn around to see Gohan dropping _Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance _into the 'Cube.  Figures; we just got that game not too long ago and still have a bunch of stuff to unlock.  I end up sitting down on the floor with Pikachu and begin to thumb through my various _Magic: The Gathering _decks that I made.  I need to get some new cards sometime soon…it seems like with every new expansion, I keep falling behind.

            "Hey bro," I hear Gohan call out to me, "what're you and Hotaru doing for Valentine's Day?"  I had a few cards in my hand, and with the mention of this holiday, I lower them and look at Gohan.  "Come on, don't sit there and act like you're not gonna at least _try _something…"

            "Pi ka?" {Try something?} Pikachu asks, tilting his head to the side.

            I raise an eyebrow at his last statement.  He knows me too well.  It's not a secret that Hotaru and I are boyfriend and girlfriend.  Anyone who knows me well enough knows that aside from battling my Pokémon, I'm the most at ease with her.  I can account for plenty of times when I'm really shy around her, and just as many times when I've been really loud and boisterous about her (2 out of 3 times involve standing up for her).  I'm a bit perplexed by my stepbrother's comment, the more I think about it.  Knowing him, his definition of the phrase 'try something' is pretty wide and ambiguous.

            I pray we're not on the same train of thought on this one…

            "Don't worry about me," I respond.  "I'll think of something to do."

            Bluff.  To be honest, I hadn't thought of anything before Gohan mentioned it.  Though, I wasn't kidding when I said I would find something to do.  The only question was…_what_.  With – I believe three – days until Valentine's Day, it at least gives me a little bit of time to plan what I should do.  Only, Hotaru can be a difficult person to buy things for.  This will be harder than I thought.

            "Why, what are you planning for Reenie?" I ask, curious to his plans…if he has any.

            He gives me an odd look, and after stuttering out a few "responses", he hangs his head and squeaks out, "I don't know."

            I can't help but feel upset for him.  See, there are two sides to this argument.  On one hand, you have to understand this key factor—the girl Gohan is interested in, Reenie, is not just another girl.  She's the princess of Crystal Tokyo.  An ordinary person would see this connection and think, _what would a mere commoner do to impress a member of the royal family?  What form of royal protocol would even _consider_ a lowly subject courting the heir to the throne?  _Here's where the other part of the argument comes in.  The rest of the world most likely doesn't know it, but people of our clique, group, posse, call us what you will (the Sailor Soldiers, the Z-Fighters, and anyone else on those lines) remember a time when Reenie and her father weren't the rulers of what is now Crystal Tokyo, when Darien was a widower raising a daughter on his own by day and the superhero Tuxedo Mask by night, when we were at heart, friends with one another.  Hell, even to this day, king Endymion doesn't want us to bow to him (unless it's at some form of public event) or call him Endymion.  True, she is royalty, but she's a friend of the family first and foremost.

            Gohan's face was as pink as Reenie's hair.

            "Help me think of something!" he said in a bit of a panicky voice.

            I looked at the TV.  He was playing as Sub-Zero, and in the middle of a fight with Hsu Hao.  "You can start by impaling Laughing Boy there on your sword," I suggest.  He does so anyway, but quickly pauses the game and turns his attention back to me.

            "That's not what I meant!" he said.  "I mean…what…what should I do for her, man?"

            "Well…could you give me a clue?  Did you at least imagine what you could do for her?"  And he calls _me _thickheaded.  Sheesh.

            "Well, a few things, but Ash…come on, bro.  She's a _princess_.  Sure we've known her since before the Founding Wars, but the fact of the matter remains that someone of her caliber isn't easily impressed, you know.  A lowly commoner like myself should be honored just to steal a glance at her."

            My head lowers at this statement, and I absently reach my hand out to scratch the side of Pikachu's head.  I don't think he'll ask me what I would do in this situation, probably expecting the answer to be something stupid or idiotic.  That won't stop me from dispensing advice anyway.

            "Oni-kun," I say to him, "what's it matter, anyway?  As long as you truly put your heart into what you want to do, there's nothing to worry about.  Most of the time it's about an honest effort."

            He gives me an odd look.  "Riiiiiiiiiight…" he said, his eyes narrowed in a you-can't-be-serious look.  Thank you, Dr. Evil.  "So tell me, Oni-chan, how much of that advice do you plan on following yourself?"

            "Hey, just trust me on this, okay?"  I set all my other stuff aside, and go over to my closet.  I quickly change my clothes into something acceptable to the outside world.  I look around for my hat, and grab it off my bed, putting it on.  I give only a fleeting glance to the deep scars along my wrists as I don my gloves.

            "Where are you going?" he asks as I put on my hat.

            "Um…just going out for a little while," I say.  "I want to get something for Hotaru before I forget."

            "Like what?"

            I find myself looking at Gohan again.  As I mentioned earlier, I don't currently have a clue.  "You'll see," I tell him before disappearing out the door, Pikachu hot on my heels.  Things like this – buying gifts and whatever – I can't think about.  I just have to let something come to me at an inopportune moment.  I guess you could say I have to be inspired.

            I stop at the foyer closet to grab my coat, quickly telling my stepparents where I'm going.  I'm not in an arguing mood, so I don't give them the time to argue or question my motives (especially Chichi).  How?  Simple.  I waste no time using Instant Transmission after I get my jacket on and Pikachu is in his usual spot atop my shoulder.  In a flash, I'm gone.

            Did I tell you how much I hate the cold?

            I appeared on a city street in downtown Crystal Tokyo around the corner from the shopping mall I was planning on going in to.  I rounded the corner and went in, the bitter cold piercing through my clothing like it was nothing.  I was outside for but a few minutes, but it felt like I was locked in a meat freezer for a few hours.  My teeth where chattering, my fingers were a bit numb…Pikachu didn't look too happy seated on my shoulder, shivering just a bit.

            As I roamed the various levels of the mall, I'm still nagged by the question of what to get Hotaru.  Sure there were lots of possibilities, but nothing in particular appealed to me for some reason.  I scratched my head under my cap, when I noticed a Hallmark store not too far off.  Well, I figured I could get the card now and worry about the rest of the stuff later, so I head in there, and pick one out for her.

            That wasn't so difficult.

            Once again, I find myself wandering about.  I need something to take my mind off of this.  With that in mind, I head over to a small comic book and game shop which is known for carrying cards for all the major card games, like _Magic, Duel Monsters, Magi-Nation_, you name it.  They even carry the _HeroClix_, but to be honest with you, I don't get into that game too much.

            The shop isn't too crowded today, but there are a few people here checking out cards, comics, and the poster rack up against the far wall.  At the counter is one of the employees talking to a guy who's asking for cards.  When the clerk went to retrieve what he asked for, the customer leaned sideways on the counter, looking around the shop.  He's tapping his hand on the counter like he's playing a piano, trying to dispel the tedium.  I know who he is because a) I recognize his unusual red, yellow and black spiked hairstyle and his purple eyes, and b) he's in my friend Trunks' band.

            I had been looking through an old _Clerks _comic when he noticed me.  He merely nodded in acknowledgment and turned his attention to his new purchases.  The clerk was either completely unfazed by or oblivious to the fact that Yugi Moto, one of the highest-rated _Duel Monsters _players in the world and the keyboardist for The Ends of Time was in his store at this very moment.  The next thing I knew, he had walked over to Pikachu and me.

            "You're Ash Ketchum, correct?" Yugi asked in a calm, relaxed voice.  I nod a yes to him.  "Trunks told me about you."

            "He did?" I ask.

            Yugi nodded.  "Oh sure.  He said he was a friend of your family, and he knew your father pretty well.  He also speaks very highly about you and your brother."  He extends his hand out to me, and after a slight hesitation, I shake it.

            "It's nice to meet you, Yugi," I say to him.

            "Likewise."  He lets go of me and palms the several boosters of _Duel Monsters _and _Magic _cards in his hand.  "So what brings you to the mall today?"

            I can feel my face turning red, and absently rub the back of my head.  "Well…" If it were Trunks, I probably wouldn't be acting as foolish as I am now.  But around someone I've only just met, I'm a tad embarrassed.  "I'm…sort of buying something for Valentine's day."  He grins knowingly, and I laugh to myself.  "You know how it is."

            He smirks knowingly.  "I see," he said.  "Are you having any luck?"

            "Well, I haven't really been here too long, and, well…" I trail off here.

            Yugi lets out a light laugh.  "I'm sure the young lady must be very lucky to have someone like you in her life."

            I smile, nodding as his words sink in.  I put the comic back on the shelf and went to leave saying goodbye to him.  He wishes me good luck on my search, and before you know it, I'm back out, renewing my search.

            Across from that same game shop was a Sam Goody store, and something inside calls to me.  I can't help but go in.  As though it were either a coincidence or some sort of sign, the first thing that grabs my attention is the monitors hanging from the ceiling around the store—more notably, the three facing the door as you come into the store.  A video of _The Way it Used to Be _by The Ends of Time is playing, which I find quite eerie, considering I just had a brush with one of the band's members.  Images of the band progress on the screen; they're playing on what looks to be a deserted island.  Even though I'm in Crystal Tokyo, a Japanese-speaking nation, the music is in English…

………Take me back so I can see 

_The way it used to be_

_The way it used to be_

_Move me from the water_

_Too cold to swim_

_Bring me to the land_

_Move me from the water_

_That I see within_

_Bring me to the land………_

            The music continues as I roam the store, looking for something suitable.  There are several things I could get her that she would like.  For one, I know she primarily loves Classical music and movies that tend to be on the darker side.  I root through the DVD section trying to find something that would get her attention, something she told me she hadn't seen before and wants to see.

            Too bad that information escapes me.  Way to go, Ashura.

            With a sigh, I turn to scope out the Classical music section.  As I turn, I run smack into another customer with several bags in her hands.  We both fall down, and her various purchases scatter.  The woman, in her mid-40s, apologizes frantically as I help get her stuff back to her.  Among the dropped the items were articles of clothes, some video games, an action figure of the black leather trench coat-clad Father Gavin from the anime _The Sword Collectors_ by Spawn Toys, and a Build-a-Bear Workshop teddy bear.

            I pick up the bear and take a good look at it.  It's done up to look like Trunks; it even has his sword and a microphone.  This gives me an idea…

            "Excuse me, ma'am," I ask, "where did you get this?"

            "They have a store up on the third level, a few doors away from the food court…"

            I'm out of the music store and onto the escalators before the woman can even finish giving me directions.  I'm half-tempted to fly up there, but to spare myself the odd stares and needless hearsay and speculation, I don't.

TIME:  3 days later…Valentine's Day

LOCATION:  Tomoe manor

            Well, here I am.

            I'm in Hotaru's house as we speak, and I am sitting down in the living room, currently by myself.  Dr. Waylon Tomoe met me at the door, which surprised me considering how he is usually cooped up in his lab or enthralled in his work to be at home.  After I got settled in and set my gift bag down on the floor, with Pikachu sitting on my lap, Dr. Tomoe went upstairs to call his daughter.

            With each passing second I grow more and more nervous.  See…these last few days, I had a lot of time to think about how things were going between Hotaru and myself.  When I first set eyes upon her, I could sense something was special about her—I'm not talking about her alter ego Sailor Saturn, this was something else.  She was so…so…

            She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen.

            Early on, even doing something trivial like walking to school together would garner odd looks and jumps to conclusions.  Looking back, I think it was because they wanted to see my reactions…especially since on more than one occasion I would overreact just as badly as they assume.  Bloody marvelous.  I didn't care, really.  Can't really say I do now, either.  The only thing that matters is _her.  _I'm not exactly sure what to make of this feeling and I wonder if Hotaru experiences the same things I do.  I mean, just being around her when we don't find each other battling some unearthly maniac that's trying to destroy everything we hold dear—

            "Ash?"

            I'm ripped from my thoughts at the calling of my name.  My head snaps around to the direction of the voice and I find Hotaru standing there, clad in a purple blouse and black skirt, smiling at me.  My hand snatches my hat off of my head, and I find myself wringing it nervously.  She lets out a light laugh and walks over to me, putting her hands on mine and pecking me on the lips.  I lock up.

            "H-hey Hotaru," I manage to say.  I manage a smile of my own, albeit a nervous one.  "H-Happy Valentine's Day.  I, uh…"

            Shit!  Get it together, Ash!  Now's not the time to turn into a stuttering fool!

            Okay, calm down.  I sit back down on the couch, Hotaru sitting down next to me.  She sees the gift I brought for her on the floor by my feet, and I reach for it, presenting it to her.

            "I, uh," I stutter.  Not good…!  "I…I got you a Valentine's Day present.  I, I wasn't sure what to get you, so, uh…ha-ha, I hope you like it."

            She gives me a peculiar look.  Odd…I've been getting a lot of strange looks lately.  The first thing she notices is the card taped to the outside of the bag.  Her name is written twice on the envelope—first in English, then in Kanji going straight down underneath.  The envelope is red with the lettering done in white.  Hotaru smiled as she read the card, which was just romantic enough to not be overdone.  I thought that way, anyway.

            "Aw, that's so sweet," she said, closing the card and looking at me.  "Thank you, Ash."

            She doesn't wait for a response, but instead sets the card down on the coffee table and goes for the gift itself.  I went through a lot to get these, believe it or not.  The place I went to specializes in "building" bears from scratch, and customizing them as necessary.  I got two bears—one that looks like Sailor Saturn and one that looks like me.  The former wasn't a problem; most of the details of Saturn's uniform are present.  The latter, on the other hand, didn't go so smoothly.  Apparently, the lady behind the counter wanted to know why I would want a bear made to look like me (wearing the outfit I'm best known for: blue/white jacket, blue jeans, black shirt, my favorite hat, etc.).  I did not know that someone could be denied on this account.  How very strange.  It was bad enough she was making this hard enough for me, but when she called me a "narcissistic gaijin", I wanted to put her head through the wall.  It took her manager's intervention and her eventual firing – this woman had a string of complaints against her – for me to finally get what I came in there for.

            Why was that so fucking difficult?  I could've gone elsewhere for a Valentine's Day gift and not had to deal with all that aggravation.  I hope my efforts are worth it.

            Apparently, it is.

            Hotaru gasps in pure joy when she opens the bag and sees the teddy bears done up like Sailor Saturn and myself.  Her mouth is hung open slightly as she looks them over.  I can practically hear her heart melting at the site of the Ash bear holding a rose in his paw for her.  She hugs the bear tightly against herself and then looks at me.  "Ash…they're adorable.  Thank you so much."

            I rub the back of my head with a big goofy smile on my face (like you'd expect any other kind).  "I knew you would like them," I said, just moments before she throws her arms around me.  The teddy bear comes out of her hand and lands on the arm of the sofa, which I didn't see until after she let go of me.  I picked up the bear and took the flower form its paw, handing it to her myself.  She smiled as she inhaled the rose's scent, her eyes never coming off of me.

            The feelings I was unsure of were starting to become clear to me.  But…I had to wonder, was Hotaru feeling the same way about me?  I had to tell her just exactly what was on my mind, and in my heart.  After a shaky silence, I decide it's time I revealed these feelings to her.

            "Hotaru," "Ashura," we both say at the same time, interrupting one another.  We apologize weakly to each other before trying this again.

            "I'm sorry, what did you—"

            "No, you first, Ash."

            "Alright."  I take a deep breath.  This isn't going to be easy.  As long as I can keep calm and under control, this should go over smoothly.  Barring any negative reaction from Hotaru, that is.  "Well…first, you know how much I enjoy doing things with you, you know that, right?"  She looked at me, not exactly sure where I was going with this.  "You…you mean a lot to me, Hotaru."

            "You mean a lot to me too, Ash," she said.  "You're the nicest guy I know."

            I can't help but blush at that.  I guess I'm a lot more modest than I think.  "Hotaru, it goes on from there.  I mean…you mean so much to me.  Aside from my family, I can't think of anyone else in this world I'd rather spend my time with.  You're the first girlfriend I ever really had; I don't know if I told you that or not.  You…" I pause so I can control myself.  "You're my whole world, Hotaru.  You mean a lot more to me than any achievement or accolade or title or any nonsense like that.  I-I…"

            Here it comes.  Here's the words that'll either make or break me as a person.  "I love you, Hotaru."

            I fall silent at that, waiting for a response.  Her eyes widen, and her face flushes slightly.  In these few moments, I'm more anxious than I've ever been in my entire life.  Granted, I've been turned to stone, fallen off of cliffs, fallen into oceans, fought for my life _literally _several times, nearly sacrificed my life to save existence, and have even been entombed in several feet of solid ice.  But _nothing _can compare to these few moments.

            "Ash…" she said, looking away from me.  My face falls, and suddenly I have the heart rate of a hummingbird.  What's she going to say next?  How is she taking this revelation?  I can only hope that she feels the same way about me, because right now, I don't think I'll be able to handle any other reaction.  I lean forward slightly, anticipating a response.  "I knew it."

            "Knew…knew it?  Knew what?"

            .  "I knew it all along."  The next thing she does is lean forward until her lips are but inches from mine "I've known…for a long time now."  She stares into my eyes.  "I love you, too, Ashura."  Her hand reaches around to the back of my head, and pulls me in for a kiss.  This I don't mind; hell, I welcome it.  When her lips open and our tongues caress one another, it's like someone cut the power to the thinking section of my brain.

            I don't remember anything about what happens in the next few moments.  All I can recall is vaguely wrapping my arms around her, pulling her body closer to mine.  I was also stiff as a board (i.e. I couldn't move), but after a bit, I began to relax and truly enjoy the feelings I was experiencing.

            We suddenly pulled away from each other, gasping for breath.  A slight, nervous laughter followed.  "Wow," Hotaru gasped, just barely higher than a whisper.

            "That…that," I stutter.  Here I go again.  "That…"

            The words are stopped dead in my throat as a muffled explosion comes from the downstairs laboratory.  Hotaru and I both jerk our heads in the direction of the lab door, our eyes wide in shock.  We hear a muffled groan from down there, possibly from Dr. Tomoe, possibly not.

            "…sounded like it _hurt,_" I finished, trying to lighten the tense situation with a bit of humor.  It works, and she laughs; her laughter is music.  When she stops laughing, we're gazing into one another's eyes.  No words are exchanged between us.  There's no need to.  Instead, we lean in and we kiss again, just as deeply as last time.

            I can't remember how long we were like that, but what I do remember is that it was just me and her, sitting there in each other's arms, lost in the moment.  And there was no other time in my life that I can recall that I was every any happier than this.

            She just may be the one for me.  Hotaru Tomoe just may be my soul mate.


	2. Son Gohan

When Hearts and Minds Unite

Another special holiday will soon be upon us, and it suddenly dawned upon me to write another Tales of the CWF holiday special.  So here we are, at the threshold of Valentine's Day in the CWF world.

And believe me, I've been so frazzled with everything that's going on right now, I couldn't get this up by Valentine's Day if I wanted to…especially with the Fanfiction.net conversion…

Usual disclaimers apply.  These characters don't belong to me... 

By the way…for some reason, using small caps and saving a Word file as .doc doesn't make small caps on fanfiction.net.  So don't think that anyone is breaking net etiquette in this fic.

SON GOHAN 

            Have you guys noticed that my brother Ash has been acting a bit…weird lately?

            I'm talking weirder than normal, mind you.  Sometimes I wonder about my bro's mental stability.  A casual observer probably wouldn't pick up on it, but less than two months ago Ash was a complete wreck.  He spent nearly every waking moment in complete misery and sorrow, while at the same time shutting out everyone he loved.  It was really upsetting everybody.  I didn't show it right away, but it really pained me to watch Ash struggle like that.  We wanted to help him, but he would just pass it off like nothing was wrong.  Until one day, he just broke.  In the end, I'm glad he let everything out.  I don't want to think about what may have happened had he keep everything buried.  And I'm glad we were able to make up after he got everything out into the open.  Ash can be a really sensitive person at times, though I feel that he usually takes things the wrong way, or way too hard.  I don't like when he does that…why he gets so upset sometimes.

            I'm sure Ash told you about the happenings in our room this afternoon, so I'll skip the small stuff.  We had been training with my dad since about 8:30 this morning both inside dad's dojo _and _outside in the single digit temperature cold.  Not one of the more intense workouts than I'm used to, but not light to the point where it's boring.  Say, have you noticed that Ash can be a bit of a whiner?  The biggest complaint I've heard come out of his mouth was that it was too damn cold outside.  I've been in harsher weather conditions than this, and even then I kept my mouth shut.  And it's not like we were outside for that long.  You'd figure after all the places he's been on his Pokémon journey (so he's told us), that a little cold weather wouldn't bother him.  Guess for better or worse, Ash is back to his old self.

            I planned on taking a lot longer in the bathroom than usual after training, so I let Ash use it first.  After he's done – and after tossing him a frivolous threat about what would happen if there was no hot water left – I take a long bath and nearly fall asleep in the tub.  Don't ask me what's up with me; I just feel so…drained as of late.  I have a lot on my mind and unfortunately not enough energy to sort through it all just yet.  My brain feels like a lump of dead weight right now.

            I don't recall how long exactly I stay in the bathroom, but I know it was long enough to warrant coaxing from my mom to hurry up and get out.  I've nothing to do of any particular importance today, so my current plans are to veg out for a while playing video games or with my Pokémon…something like that.  When I get back to my room, I'm still clad in a bathrobe as I ask my brother to let me play for a while.  He does, though I'm sure he was more than a little reluctant to do so.

            While I was starting up a new game of _Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance_, I glance at the calendar hanging on the wall.  Counting the last day crossed out (today), there are three days until Valentine's Day.  Knowing Ash, he's probably got tons of things planned for Hotaru Tomoe.  My curiosity gets the best of me, so it's time to do some prying.

            "Hey bro," I ask, "what're you and Hotaru doing for Valentine's Day?" He was busying himself with some _Magic _cards, and he takes his attention away from just long enough to look at me. "Come on, don't sit there and act like you're not gonna at least _try _something…"

            I end up returning the odd look he gives me.  _What're you looking at me like that for?_ I think to myself.

            "Don't worry about me," I respond. "I'll think of something to do."  Sure you will.  Come on, little bro, you're not fooling anyone.  Then comes something a little unexpected.  "Why, what are you planning for Reenie?"

            I freeze up.  "I don't know," I stutter out, completely caught off guard.  He's still looking at me funny.  "Help me think of something!"

            "You can start by impaling Laughing Boy there on your sword," he says to me.  Acknowledging his advice, I do just that, Sub-Zero's Kori blade skewering Hsu Hao, my opponent.  I can't stay focused on the game for long, so I snap back to Ash as I press pause.

            "That's not what I meant!  I mean…what…what should I do for her, man?"

            "Well…could you give me a clue?  Did you at least imagine what you could do for her?"  I can sense a bit of irritation in his voice.  I was about to call him out on it, but there are more important things for me to talk about.

            "Well, a few things, but Ash…come on, bro.  She's a _princess_.  Sure we've known her since before the Founding Wars, but the fact of the matter remains that someone of her caliber isn't easily impressed, you know.  A lowly commoner like myself should be honored just to steal a glance at her."

            Ash doesn't answer for a little bit.  I don't know what's keeping him from doing so.  Though I don't show it too often, I'm a bit nervous around Reenie.  Not as bad as Ash is around Hotaru, but pretty close.  The problem I have is that Reenie is the exact opposite of Hotaru—she is extremely vivacious and boisterous, which, I guess isn't necessarily a bad thing.  The first few times I ever saw her she clung to me like a leech; she barely let me out of her sight!  Sure, after a while she calmed down, but I have to admit the first few experiences were very unnerving.  Plus, unlike Hotaru, she's assertive to a fault…almost to the point of being bossy.  This can be very painful.  Then…then came the wars.  Several times in the past I was at least indirectly responsible for preserving her life.  Eventually her attitude changed, but it wasn't overnight.  Now, she's a lot more mature for her age.  Of course, being a princess means she was spoiled like one.  You'd never guess it, though.  She's a lot more humble than she seems, and doesn't act snobby or conceited around visitors to the castle (I'm not talking about the regular lot of us, but any others who seek an audience with her and her father).

            "Oni-kun," he finally said, "what's it matter, anyway?  As long as you truly put your heart into what you want to do, there's nothing to worry about.  Most of the time it's about an honest effort."

             "Riiiiiiiiiight…" I say, none-too-thrilled.  He told me he doesn't want to be called 'little bro', so why did he call me 'big bro'?  Do you know why?  I certainly don't.  "So tell me, Oni-chan, how much of that advice do you plan on following yourself?"

            "Hey, just trust me on this, okay?" he said back.  For someone worried about impressing his girlfriend he sure is arrogant.  After digging through his closet for a few moments, he is dressed a little nicer, like he's going out.

"Where are you going?" I asked as he donned his hat.

            "Um…just going out for a little while.  I want to get something for Hotaru before I forget."

            "Like what?"

            "You'll see."  And you will see as well…that he's completely clueless.

            By the time I finish the fight on the game, Ash is long gone.  That left me alone with my thoughts.  Thoughts on what I should do for Reenie for Valentine's Day.  What's worse is that – if you haven't figured it out before – her being a princess complicates _everything_.  Sure, my family is a friend of the royal family, but I can't just waltz up to the gates of the palace and say, _Hello, my liege, I've come to beseech your daughter!  _Ash may try something that dumb, but not me.  Besides, I still had three days to get her something, so I could think about what I can do in that time.  My own words still bother me, though.  A commoner…and a princess.  What could I possibly do to impress her?

            "Jig?" {Gohan?}

            I look down from the TV screen and find Jigglypuff at my feet, looking up at me.  I smile, and bend down to bring her into my arms.  "Hey, Jigglypuff," I say to her, watching her snuggle into my chest.  For a while, I just sit there with her in my arms, zoning out a bit, if you will.  I forget that I was even playing a video game, and by the time I come out of my little trance, I don't feel like playing anymore.  Ignoring the game, I go to the desk, where the computer is still on.  In a few moments, I'm checking my email.  Nothing too special—tons of junk mail clogs about 95% of my inbox.  Virtually everything gets deleted right away…except one letter from the princess.

            This is…unusual.  What did she want?  If Reenie ever needed to ask a favor of me, or something, she could've always just called.  I don't know…I guess it seems a little odd because it's coming from a member of the royal family.  Usually they would have squires or servants to do something like that for them.  This isn't the case, though, and as I open the email (with the crescent moon motif, by the way), the bold, pink lettering lets me know right away that this is the work of princess Reenie of Crystal Tokyo herself.  The letter reads:  

Subject:  Hiya!

Hey, Gohan!  

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and I'm so excited!  ^_^ Aren't you?  If your mom & dad will let you, you should come to the castle on valentine's day.  I would love to spend the day with you here!  I'll have everything planned out by then.  I'll email you again with the time someone will come and pick you up.  Until then, I can't wait to see you!

~Reenie

P.S.  I can tell you right now—dress nice! ^_~

            I save the email as unread after looking it over a few times.  She wants me to come over a few days from now?  Well…sure, why not.  I mean…I haven't visited the palace nearly as much as she's visited my house.  I got a feeling she'll be expecting something really nice for Valentine's Day though.  That doesn't help me right now.

            Looking back at the TV, I notice I'm still on the menu screen, just as I left it when I went to check my email.  "You know what?" I ask aloud—not to anyone in particular, but Jigglypuff sitting in my laugh lends an ear regardless.  "It's too stuffy in here.  I need to get out of here for a while."  That said, I turn off the GameCube and leave my room, Jigglypuff still in one arm.

            Though…walking away doesn't solve my Valentine's Day problem.  I don't want to admit it myself, but I need some advice.  Unfortunately, that's going to be hard to come by.  My dad isn't really the romantic type, if you will.  Sure, he's done a few "romantic" things on stuff like mom's birthday or Christmas, but he doesn't usually do things like that on a regular basis.  Mom, on the other hand…if she does anything to show how much she loves dad, my brothers and I don't ever see it.  I'm pretty sure the majority of what goes on those lines happens when we're asleep, and I don't feel like thinking about the possibilities right now.

            I take three steps downstairs when I hear some sort of noise coming from my parents' bedroom.  I immediately turn around and go there, finding my mom rooting through her various drawers, looking for…something.  There are clothes strewn all over the bed, and mom has been sorting through a few jewelry boxes, their contents lying here and there.

            This is the same person who's always so anal about how my brother's and my room look.  Oy.

            "Hey mom," I say as I walk in the room.  She doesn't notice me right away, so I walk in a few steps and clear my throat.  She lets out a startled shout, and then calms down when she sees me in the doorway.

            "Hi, son," she says, smiling.  She sees Jigglypuff still in my hands and walks over to us, taking her into her own hands.  "Hey, Jigglypuff," she coos, "how are you?"

             "Jigglypuff," {"I'm fine,"} she squeaks.

            Mom places Jigglypuff down on the bed, who looks around the miscellaneous items on it.  There's a lot of old stuff lying around, clothes belonging to mom, old photo albums, little nick knacks…looking at the mess on the bed, I decide that I'd rather just stand than try and find a place to sit.

            "What are you doing?" I ask.

            "Oh," she sighs, "I'm just cleaning up in here.  I swear, this place is a real mess, sometimes…" She continues tearing the room apart, looking for…for…

            "Are you looking for something?"

            "Nothing in particular," she responds.  "Why?"

            "I dunno…it just looks like you misplaced something.  Our room looks the same way when we have to look for something."

            "Yeah, don't remind me."  Jigglypuff, in the meantime, is trying not to get buried under all the mess, but instead starts looking through the piles.  She is bent over at what would be her waist, letting out a few grunts as her small hands grab hold of something…

            "Jiggly!" {Look what I found!"} she says triumphantly.  In her arms is a long, gold necklace with a pink diamond hanging from it.  After noticing it, I take it from her and get a look at it myself.  The diamond is about the size of a quarter, and shaped like a teardrop.  It was the same shade of pink as Reenie's hair, and sparkled when the light hit it just right.  It looked beautiful.

            Now the wheels in my head started turning.  "Hey mom," I started.  "I…need some help…" I'm afraid to ask, mainly because my mom can take things just a little bit out of proportion.

            "Sure, son," she said, stopping what she was doing.  "What's on your mind?"  The words stop short in my throat.  I open my mouth to speak, but it only gets about halfway open before everything gets stopped up.  How was I going to put this?  Fortunately, I wouldn't have to put it any way at all.  "Oh…I think I know…" my mom muses after a few moments of awkward silence.  She leans forward, and I instinctively fall backwards on my elbows and almost onto Jigglypuff.  "It's about Valentine's Day, isn't it?" she says with a creepy smile.

            "Um…well, yeah," I said, the words coming out of my mouth kicking and screaming.  My face is probably beet red by now.

            "Well, what exactly are you worried about?" my mom continued, her tone now serious and firm.  She was standing up straight as she asked the question, looking at me looking at the necklace.

            "Reenie…uh, Reenie invited me to the castle on Valentine's Day."

            "Really?  That's wonderful, son!"

            "But…"

            "But?  But what?  Gohan, you should be honored, you know!"  She has that look in her eyes like she's going to rant me to death.  Oy vey.  "You know, it's not every day a common subject of Crystal Tokyo gets the opportunity to court the fair princess.  Right?"

            It's a miracle she can say that with a straight face.  She knows just as well as any of about Darien and Reenie before the Great Awakening.  Hell, she's even berated Darien the way she berates dad or my brother and me.

            "Mom…"

            "I know, I know, I'm just kidding, son.  But hey, think about it like this, how many other boys your age are going to have the opportunity you're going to have?"

            "Not many."  She was right about that.

            "You're giving a lot of people hope by doing this, son."

            "Yeah, but a lot of people will be pretty jealous of this, if you ask me."

            "Yeah, but so what?"  She is taking a lot more serious tone with me now.  Not the kind where she's angry, but the kind where she wants to get her point across.  "If you really want to make a good impression, you're going to need something _nice _to wear."  She said that last part with enough emphasis you'd think she got Reenie's email as well.

            "That shouldn't be too hard," I said.  "Could you…"

            "Get you something new to wear to the castle?  I'd be glad to, son!"

            I was going to say 'help me pick out an outfit to wear from my closet', but mom didn't let me finish my sentence.  Oh well.  If she wants to spend money on new clothes, be my guest.

TIME:  Three days later…Valentine's Day

LOCATION:  Crystal Palace, Crystal Tokyo

            The last few days were very…interesting, to say the least.

            Actually, after the discussion in my parents' room, we didn't just throw some shoes on and beeline for the shopping district.  Instead, she took me back into my room and tore through my closet, looking for all my "nice" clothes.  To be honest, I couldn't remember the last time I actually wore any of those, as their musky odor and light covering of dust covering their pressed-together forms (from being pushed _way _back in the closet).  Two-thirds of the aforementioned garments were simply folded up and set aside as no good.  The other half either didn't fit properly or didn't go well together with anything else I had.  So off shopping we went.

            Oddly enough, I saw my brother in the mall at a comic book shop talking to the keyboardist from The Ends of Time.  My mom didn't see it, as we were too busy looking for an appropriate outfit.  Of course, I had only relayed Reenie's words to my mom, i.e. "dress nice".  The definition of "nice" can be pretty ambiguous.

            This led to quite a problem.

            _How was I to dress?_ my mom had asked herself.  It's a big conflict of interests and ideas.  Normally being summoned to the castle to attend a special event meant black-tie all the way.  On the other hand, it was a pretty down-to-earth meeting between friends.  Well, boyfriend and girlfriend.  The public didn't know of it, but our close-knit group did.  Plus, someone would think that we were "just kids", and would go along the lines of something more casual—i.e. khakis, dress shirt…you know the drill.  This leads back to the fact that you're visiting the home of the royal family, and that thought is quickly snuffed out.

            So in the end, we went with something more middle of the road than anything else.  We ended up leaving with a dark blue three-piece suit.  I had a nice pair of shoes back home, which looked fine after a good polishing.  Sometime between the day at the mall and V-Day itself, I also brought her a dozen roses and a big box of those fancy Godiva chocolates.  I knew Reenie loves candy and such, so I figured she love them.

            When the day arrived, I dressed in my new suit and patiently awaited someone from the castle to come and get me.  Well, I waited, but it was anything but patiently.  I was nervous as all hell.  It was about 3:00 PM when a representative of the castle came to the house.  It was the princess's mentor, her surrogate mother, if you will—Trista Vernon, better known as Sailor Pluto.

            She wasn't in her Sailor persona today, but rather in a pretty spiffy looking business suit.  She maintained her serious, all-business attitude as she visited the house.  Of all the Senshi, she took her role as a Sailor Soldier more serious than anyone else.  I can see why, I guess.  Not only is she Sailor Pluto, but also the chief royal advisor (meaning both Darien and Reenie), a Crystal Tokyo diplomat, and the Guardian of Time.  That's a lot of responsibility.

            I can't help but wonder if she's ever had any time to herself…a break from all her duties and just had some fun.

            We were driven to the castle via a chauffeured limousine.  En route, Trista relaxed a bit and made some small talk with me, but I wasn't as relaxed.  I did feel a bit foolish sitting across from her with the flowers, chocolate and that necklace that belonged to my mother wrapped up (I had been advised to give that to her last).

            Let me tell you…everything at the palace was so formal, I could hardly stand it.  Reenie was the same way, apparently.  After I had been escorted into the main hall (complete with high ceilings, marble columns, twin winding staircases, and a large mural painted on the ceiling above depicting the battles leading up to the founding of Crystal Tokyo—myself, my father and brother among others captured virtually flawlessly on the hard canvas), Reenie was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, and after I was properly announced, she ran over to me in a tackle-hug.

            I guess I was a little surprised at the display she put on; I was half-expecting the same uptight, über-proper behavior I had seen from Trista on the way over here.  That would explain said look of surprise on my face, as she looked me in the eyes once she let go.

            "Gohan-chan," she said in a sweet voice, "egao tsukutteru." {"Show me a smile."}  After regaining my senses, I do so, and her face beamed in delight.

            We spent the majority of the day not far from each other's sight, a lot of it simply enjoying one another's company, and doing other various things around the castle.  Reenie insisted I stay for dinner, which Reenie had gone to great lengths to set up.  It was like no dinner I've ever sat down to in my life.  For one, Reenie had changed into a beautiful, flowing pink gown, which was a lighter shade of pink than her hair.  This girl really likes the color pink.

            After we finished, she approached me again, and asked me to dance.  After swallowing the huge lump that developed in my throat suddenly, I agreed.  There was a private orchestra playing a beautiful song as we approached the dance floor.  She's a lot better at this than I am, I'll admit, so she led at first.  Once my apprehension left me, I led the dance.  As the song winded down, I never once in my life saw her happier.

            Once the song ended, we went out onto the balcony overlooking the city.  The city at night is a marvelous sight, if you've never been there.  Though only the Crystal Palace and the bridge connecting the main land of Japan to a southern peninsula of the city are…well, crystal, every other building in the city gives off a downright magical glow.

            No words are exchanged right away.  We just stared at the city skyline, holding each other's hands.  Finally, I turn to her.

            "Reenie," I said, "thanks for bringing me out to the palace today."

            "You're welcome," she said.  "I knew you'd enjoy it here."

            "Um, I, uh…" She went to say something, but fell silent when I spoke first.  "I got you something else.  I…I hope you like it."  With that, I take out the box from my suit jacket pocket and hand it to her.  There's a little red bow on it, which she keeps holding between two fingers as she opens the jewelry box.  She opens the box, and finds the pink diamond pendant that used to belong to my mother staring back at her, and she gasps in delight.

            "Oh, Gohan!" she squeals, "it's gorgeous!"  She looks at me again.  "Where did you find something like this?"

            "Well…you could say my mom helped me pick it out."  I chuckle nervously, but she doesn't pick up on it.  Instead, she gives me a curious look.

            Oh yeah, I almost forgot!

            I take the necklace from her, and she turns her back to me.  I then fasten the pendant around her neck, and she turns to me again, throwing her arms around me.  "I love this so much," she whispers, tears of joy in her eyes.  "Thank you, Gohan."

            Being bold, I decide not to answer with words and instead kiss her on the lips.  Our bodies meld into one another as we kiss, a kiss that lasts…I forget how long, exactly.

            The kiss breaks, and we are again looking out at the city, with her in my arms.  "It's so beautiful," she muses.

            "Beautiful," I echo.

            A slight breeze picks up, and it seems to repeat us as well.  _Beautiful………_

THE END.


End file.
